THE nephew of one of three young men who were killed in Newcestown as a result of a tragic Civil War incident over 100 years ago, has paid tribute to the group who spearheaded the upgrade of a memorial site outside the village.
Mark O’Leary’s uncle Charles O’Leary (18), along with Patrick Murray (19) and John Desmond (22), died on February 4th 1923.
Speaking to The Southern Star following the recent commemoration at the upgraded site, Mark thanked the members of Newcestown Historical & Heritage Group for all their dedication.
‘It was a great day for all the family to come there to remember Charles, and the weather held up too which drew a large attendance,’ said Mark.
‘The upgrade of the site is very well done and it was a very decent thing they did to honour my uncle and the two other men. I want to thank Raymond Crowley and all the group, as well as Neilie Collins, who did extensive stone work at the memorial.’
The killing of the three local men was first acknowledged by the Newcestown Development Group in 2002 when they, with the blessing of three families, erected a modest stone to mark the site where they were killed.
However, the recent upgrading of the site, which received funding from Cork County Council, has landscaping works, a new plaque and an information board detailing the tragic events of that day. Family members of all three men attended and participated in the ceremony.
Also in attendance for the official opening was county mayor Cllr Frank O’Flynn, along with local public representatives and members of the clergy.
He said Newcestown was no exception to tragic incidents which occurred during the Civil War. ‘We are honouring three young men, who paid the ultimate price, and after 100 years they rightly deserve their place in the annals of Irish history. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Newcestown Historical & Heritage Group whose dedication and commitment to preserving our history is commendable,’ said Cllr O’Flynn.
‘This monument serves as a reminder of what transpired here over a century ago, and a reminder that history is not confined to the pages of books, but lives in the memory of a community and nation.’
Raymond Crowley from the Newcestown Historical & Heritage Group thanked all those for attending and those who helped with the organisation of the commemoration, including landowners, stewards, local musicians and gardaí.
‘As a group we are politically neutral and with the centenary coming up, we decided to upgrade the site with the help of Council grants. So many people contributed their time and expertise to this project, so we want to thank everyone,’ he said.
Following a minute’s silence for the three men, and prayers, Diarmuid Grainger concluded by playing a lament on the uilleann pipes.
